Belize will host the 58th Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI). It will be held 31 August – 2^nd September 2005 at the Radisson Hotel, Belize City, Belize.

The Board is comprised of regional representatives from the agriculture sector, financial institution, and the academia and is responsible for the general operation of the Institute, implement the general policies of the Institute and may give the Executive Director general instructions for the implementation of such policies.

In addition, the approval of the work programmes for the Institute is undertaken by the Board and in this regard, the Board also assist the Executive Director in seeking the support and the resources necessary for the fulfillment of the objectives of the Institute among others.

At the meeting, the Directors will discuss critical issues aimed at supporting the agriculture sector in the CARICOM region in achieving greater production, efficiencies, diversification and global competitiveness.

Other topics of importance to be discussed by the Directors include the following: the Jagdeo Initiative, the Institute’s Strategic Framework and Revised Medium Term Plan, development in Biotechnology, the Caribbean Regional Invasive Species Intervention Strategy (CRISIS) as well as Status of payments by Member Governments and revenue generating initiatives.

CARDI has been given the responsibility to develop policies by the CARICOM Secretariat on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and also chairs the Working Group on Invasive Species in the greater Caribbean region.

CARDI is the lead agency for Research and Development in the agriculture sector for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and will continue to pursue sustainable technologies that increase the competitiveness of our agriculture without compromising biodiversity, biosafety and human health.

CARDI is also responsible under the (CARICOM) Regional Transformation Programme (RTP) for Technology Generation, Validation and Transfer, Market Development and Integrated Production and Market Programmes.

Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) was established in 1975 by Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to meet the agricultural research and development needs of the Region. The member countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.